Charles County bike plans
Trails, trails and more trails but not a peep about bike lanes.
See our poll (<a href="http://www.baltimorespokes.org/polls/index.php?pid=2010010614524956&aid=-1">http://www.baltimorespokes.org/polls/index.php?pid=2010010614524956&aid=-1</a>; ) Only 12% want trails only.
This point is interesting:
"One mile of trail costs about $195,360 per mile at a cost of $37 per foot. One mile of road costs $1.58 milion or $300 per foot."
Should I point out that a bike lane runs about $75,000 per mile or $14 per foot and that's at the high end? (per Safe Routes to School estimates.)
Seriously, bike lanes should be excluded from consideration? I guess so since MDOT will not allow federal funds for bike lanes to be spent on bike lanes in MD. :(
Think about it, 50% match of $37 per foot (trail) is $18 per foot or the locality can foot the whole bill for a bike lane at $14 per foot. So for $4 more per foot the locality gets $18 more in "value." in making the public happy. This is the problem with only funding one type of bicycle accommodation, rather then looking at best kind of accommodations where needed (near the same cost per mile no matter what solution is chosen) they are looking where they can fit in trails since that is encouraged and bike lanes are not.
You can read the article here: <a href="http://www.gazette.net/article/20111109/NEWS/711099637&template=gazette">http://www.gazette.net/article/20111109/NEWS/711099637&template=gazette</a>;